Recapping: the author was a Hebrew Jesus follower, a leader or apostle in the new Jesus movement created about AD 33. These Jesus’ followers were new Christians though still identified as Jewish. They were the true people of God as all “who remain confident in their hope in Christ”. It was written to suffering Jewish Hebrews, opposed, persecuted by those apostate Jews, Israelites, who refused to accept Jesus (see Hebrews 10:32-36 ).
Remember, the letters in the New Testament were not written to us today but they can be very important for us. This letter is full of warnings and for today’s Christian this is just as relevant. For “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
Looking at Hebrews 1:2-4.
And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
This letter was written in “these final days”, sometime around AD 62-66, when the recipients were new believers in Christ though still identifying as Jewish. They referred to this time in which they were living as the ‘final days’. For them this was the final days of national Israel—‘the end’ of the whole Mosaic period of law, temple worship and sacrifice because he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of God.
The ‘final days’ was a period of transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. John called it ‘the last hour’ (1 John 2:18). Another term for this period was ‘the end’ or ‘the end of the age.’ (see Matthew 24:3).
Then our author goes on to talk about the importance of these final days Hebrews 2:2-4:
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
These readers were expecting Jesus’ soon, second-coming—the Kingdom of God. They saw God at work in their midst doing ‘signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit’. It was a critical time, a most significant time, so the readers must pay close attention to the truth and not listen to the lies of the apostate Jews, and not ‘drift away’ from the truth of the Gospel.
Hebrews 2:16-18.
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Notice ‘to help the descendants of Abraham.’ It does not say he came to help ‘the Jews.’ For the believing readers were all descendants of Abraham (see Galatians 4) just as we believers are today. How privileged we are that he should call us his brothers and sisters and he is able to help us when we are being tested. We are the true Israel, the chosen, the people of God.
Hebrews 3:6
But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
They are the people of God, not the apostate Israelites, as they maintain courage and remain confident in the Lord Jesus, and not in dead works. And as we also today! Courage is required and trust in the great hope of Jesus. Again let us remember this fact that today many are idolatoriosly focussing on fake Israel instead of Jesus. People living in today’s Palestine are not necessarily the chosen people of God.
Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:2-3
And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.. . . . . . God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”
It is always the glorious good news that brings rest and peace. So important is this that God takes an oath—no one will enter his rest with unbelief. Unbelief is disobedience. Do we tremble with fear that some of our friends and family might fail to experience it? Mere announcement of the gospel will not benefit them. They must experience the reality or they will not enter in.
Hebrews 4:10-13
So let us be diligent to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. . . . .. .For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
They are told to do due diligence about entering their rest. That’s so critical. They are reminded of the word of God—it is alive, not dead. It is powerful and finely discerning. By His Word the worlds were created. There can be no hiding from God for them nor for us today. So Hebrews 3:7-8:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
To be continued next time.
Ian Thomson 